Initial Strategic Initiatives

The need for methodological developments in Data Science and the education of all scientists and science students in Data Science has never been greater. The Academy of Data Science will encompass the College’s focus on Science – it will include both the science of Data Science, as well as the use of Data Science in Science. We believe it is essential to consider Data Science as a science in its own right, as well as an essential component of any scientific discipline.

The College of Science will continue to invest in and promote research opportunities, with particular emphases on advancing regional, national, and global impact. In the short term, these research efforts include coastal resilience, quantum information science, cryptography, and others, including COVID-19. In addition, the College will continue to invest in faculty research via the Dean’s Discovery Fund, and other avenues.

The College has a wide range of undergraduate and graduate academic programs, along with a structure that promotes both disciplinary depth in fundamental science and transdisciplinary breadth that connects departments and expands research collaborations. We will continue to develop those mechanisms as well as degree offerings and certificate programs, including in the Greater Washington, D.C., Metro Area and particularly on the Innovation Campus.

The College will establish leadership programs for Women in Science to advance diversity in science and distinguish our College. In so doing, we will establish the Virginia Tech College of Science as a destination for faculty, staff, and student talent from across the country and around the world, and we will become the premier organization for the development of scientific talent.